My sciatica seems to be calming down, and I’m beginning to feel almost normal. I haven’t played golf due to the weather, but I’m continuing to walk. I wanted inspiration … something to think about besides every little muscle or nerve twitch, so I dug out my ancient iPod and charged it up.
I stopped using the iPod during my days as the self-appointed Safety Scout. For some reason, I was trying to reduce risk in my life, and wearing headphones on a walk seemed fraught with peril. That was back when E. coli was the worst thing you could drag home from the grocery store, and Omicron was just a letter of the Greek alphabet.
We’ve had a couple of years to rethink risk. I’ve concluded wearing headphones on a walk isn’t the scariest thing out there. I made some walking playlists years ago, and lo and behold, they’re still on the device and working properly. It was fun to walk and listen to some of my favorite music. I may even branch out to audio books and podcasts.
A sampler from the playlist:
- Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum – Bob Dylan
- Big Ball in Cowtown – Bob Wills
- Train of Love – Doc Watson
- Refugee – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
- Beer Run – Todd Snider
- Jobel-Liebe – Margret Almer
- Rehab – Amy Winehouse
- Waitress in the Sky – the Replacements
- Love Shack – the B-52s
- Used to be a Cop – Drive-by Truckers
All dated but still great as far as I’m concerned. Margret Almer is a yodeler. I love a good yodel.
I honestly can’t remember how old the iPod is. Maybe circa 2006? I’ll keep using it until it doesn’t work anymore, although I suppose I should have a backup plan in place. Your recommendations are most welcome.
There will be a bit of a learning curve, as I haven’t downloaded music in years. I’m not even sure I know how anymore. Do you still go to Apple? But updating my portable music tools and adding some new tunes might be a good little activity for me.
Also in the spirit of cheering one’s self up, I decided I would walk better in the cold if I looked cuter. Today I wore leggings, a fleece top and a puffy vest … as opposed to baggy track pants with long underwear for extra padding. A black and gray knit beanie kept my ears toasty.
I’ve decided I need a more colorful beanie. I also decided I need another pair of leggings. I ordered these from Athleta. They’re a little thicker than my normal pants, so they should help keep me warm without being too bulky. Some days I feel like the Michelin man out there.
We usually have Dale’s homemade pizza on Friday night and decided to stick with our plan even though it’s New Year’s Eve. Tonight’s toppings will be Italian cold cuts and sliced green olives. The olives add a nice brininess to balance the richness of the meat.
Today we went to the local Asian supermarket, 99 Ranch, which is a spectacular place. We bought two live Dungeness crabs. Dale steamed them and picked out all the meat for crab rolls tomorrow. We’re off to a good start.
Happy New Year!
I use airpods for walking, with only one in at a time – half of the walk in one ear and half of the walk in the other ear. I can hear the book or the music but can still hear the traffic around me. This setup has worked well and I like it better than headphones.
I hope you and Dale have a good year. Thank you for your blog.
Glad to know there are other safety-minded people out there! I feel so outdated not knowing about airpods and such, but no time like the present. Thanks for the recommendation. And best wishes for a great 2022. Twos are wild.
I like the iTouch for lightness and capacity. And the single airbud/bud is a safer option. We do about 3-4 miles per day on pavement or dirt trails and hardly talk at all or listen to music. Just connect with the world/nature. Happy New Year to you and Dale.
Well, kudos to you for connecting with the world and appreciating nature. I’m just not that evolved. However, you’ve inspired me to make more of an effort. Happy New Year!
I never listened to music because I don’t think it’s safe to plug your ears and I never found any earplugs that I could stand. I have small inner ears.
Then I tried the Samsung galaxy buds. They allow ambient sound, actually they have little microphones so you can choose the level noise you want to hear. No cars or people sneaking up on me now. And they are the first ones to be comfortable. I love them.
I’m rocking out to music when I walk now.
I think my Safety Scout behavior started when I was commuting to Sunnyvale. I’d get off the bus early and walk the rest of the way in, and it was Dodge City out there. I imagine it’s much the same where you live, and it sounds like you’ve found a perfect solution. Thanks for another excellent recommendation. Cheers to 2022!
I use my little pink Ipod at the fitness center. On our daily walks we meet dogs we pet and their owners we talk to, so no music for us.
Funny thing, this very old Ipod even survived a round in the washing machine. I put it on the radiator overnight and it worked! Apple still sells them, but they are quite pricey.
I don’t do Itunes updates any more, enough music to hear.
Those Athleta leggings are so cute. I’ts a shame, that in EU doesn’t exist ONE brand that makes nice and affordable sportswear.
Happy New Year to both of you, Donna.
It sounds like our iPods are about the same age. I guess you’re right. I don’t need to add new music.
I like Athleta and wish they had something like it for you in the EU. It’s not cheap, but the quality and fit is excellent.
Frohes Neues Jahr! (I hope that’s right)
Happy new year, Donna!
Deb
Same to you, Deb!!
You need Spotify! 🙂 Best music app ever! Free (some commercials involved ) and subscription (no commercials). Give it a try – the cool thing is that every Monday, they do a “weekly discovery” list – it is generated based on what you’ve been listening to. I’ve discovered new artists and ones from the past that I’d forgotten about. The paid subscription is worth every penny! I had a plan for myself – finally, Rich and I got on the family plan and he loves it, too! Great for long drives and walks. You can download a playlist or stream it. Also, if you have an Alexa or Echo – you can tell it to play an artist or song and it will pull it from your Spotify lists. Much better than Prime Music from Amazon – they offer more music from the past.
That sounds great. So many new things to check out! It feels like I’ve been living in a cave. I’ll definitely add Spotify to my “research” list.
I walk 3-4 miles a day on conservation trails. Recently I downloaded Pimsleur Spanish for Beginners from the library and listen on my daily walks. I was surprised at how much Spanish I absorbed just by listening and repeating the phrases. So I may look like a crazy old lady talking to herself! But hey, exercising body and mind at the same time! 😁
I was just telling my husband earlier today I should make an effort to learn Spanish. Thanks for the idea!
I don’t wish hearing loss on you but I love my bluetooth hearing aids for listening to podcasts or music when I walk. They adjust the sound automatically when, for instance, a truck rumbles by, and I can still hear noises around me so they feel safe.
I love the automatic sound adjustment. So much has advanced since I bought my iPod a zillion years ago.
Hi, Donna – This sounds like a wonderful start to a great year ahead.
Wishing you a happy and healthy 2022!
Same to you, Donna!
My iPod died some time ago, and was much mourned. It replaced my Creative Zen mp3 player, which was just the best quality sound ever, as the newer Creative Zen models didn’t get good reviews. My daughter got at me about the safety aspect of walking and wearing earphones (or earbuds) so I stopped doing it. If you find a new solution (other than a Spotify subscription), I do hope you’ll share it.
Glad the sciatica is easing somewhat. My knees are giving me gip, but I’m back to walking in a hope of putting off further surgery. Still not a good time for non-emergency hospital stays. Here’s wishing you a happy & healthy 2022.
Some of those old iPods are worth money. I figured out mine is a 3rd generation Nano, circa 2007. Pretty much worthless, except it still works!
It’s my understanding cannabis is strictly controlled in the UK, but if you can get some, I have found cannabis cream to work great on creaky knees.
Go to the Apple store on your iPhone, download the Spotify app. Then in the Spotify search bar type in the name of the artist you want to listen to. A list of their songs/albums will come up. Put in your earbuds or AirPods, press play and you’re in business! It’s free, but every 30 minutes you will have to listen to a 15 second advertisement. I am a technical idiot and find Spotify easy to master. Happy walking!
I’ve been dabbling in Spotify, and so far, I like it a lot. I believe you must have the premium version to download playlists you can listen to off-line. I think the price is reasonable and the product is great if you can stomach the privacy issues cited by Nina.
I so wish that I could be like Jackie and download a free Spotify app. But I’ve long ago deleted most apps from my iPhone because I resent the intrusive tracking and selling of my information that these companies traffic in. I realize that I’m howling against the wind, but I can’t help but wonder what we will learn when these companies finally reveal their true purposes. All I know right now is that corporations don’t offer cool stuff to us for free; they are getting our data, and they consider it valuable. By the way, I am the furthest thing from a Luddite. I began with an Apple computer in 1984 and have used both Macs and PCs. I love them and wish we lived in a society where I could utilize them to the max.
I agree with everything you said, and I truly admire you for taking a stance. Earlier in my life, I probably would have done the same, but it seems I’ve taken the path of least resistance.
Thanks for your understanding. You should see the looks I get in an Apple Store when the employees realize that I barely use any apps, and the resulting conversations we have. It’s truly embarrassing to have these people who absolutely embrace technology facing me while I try to explain my position. Especially because before I learned about the negative side, I was all in on so many wonderful apps that really did enhance my life.
Happy New Year. I love those leggings! I splurged and bought couple thicker pair with pockets from Athleta. One pair I loved and wore yesterday, the other did not stay up and I sold them! I also debate the safety of walking with headphones, but I do it anyway. I love listening to books or podcasts if not music. Thanks for sharing your play list!
I’m still waiting on those leggings!! I have enjoyed listening to music again and keep the volume reasonable so I can hear outside sounds.
So sad for me when my ipod died because I am an avid walker to music. I have Amazon Prime, so with that membership, I get free “limited” music from them from their website, with no commercials, which is a must for me. (For a charge of $7.99 monthly, you get unlimited music, which I would never pay for since their “limited” music is way, way more than what I could ever want or use.
So I downloaded the Amazon app onto my phone, and invested in the older version of the airpods and absolutely love those. they do not fall out with walking or even with jogging. If you have an iphone, they automatically connect. If you have an android phone, the airpods still work. You have to click on Settings and click on Airpods is all. I turn the volume down so I can still hear the music and traffic and nature noises.
I did a little search to compare Amazon’s music service with Spotify, and they look pretty much the same to me. The biggest difference for me would be Amazon’s free service allows you to download a playlist for offline listening (walking), while Spotify requires premium for downloads. I’m already in Amazon Prime, and I’m currently doing a free month of Spotify premium, so I suppose I’ll have to experiment to see which one I like better.
Thanks for the reminder about volume so we can hear not only music but also traffic and nature noises!